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Keep laboratory doors closed; limit access to personnel who have a need to be in the lab. Page 12 of 49
Wear a fully fastened laboratory coat, gloves, and eye protection when working with infectious agents or potentially
hazardous materials, including human blood, body fluids, tissue and cells.
Remove all protective clothing, including gloves, and leave within the laboratory before exiting.
When practical, perform all aerosol-producing procedures such as shaking flasks, grinding tissue, sonicating, mixing,
and blending in a certified biological safety cabinet. Note that some equipment may compromise cabinet function by
disturbing the air curtain.
Centrifuge materials containing infectious agents in unbreakable, closable tubes. Use a rotor with a sealed head or
safety cups, and load it in a biological safety cabinet. After centrifugation, open the rotor and tubes in a biological safety
cabinet. Avoid using hypodermic needles whenever possible. If it is necessary to use them, discard used syringe-needle
units in a sharps container without removing or re-capping the needles.
Cover counter tops where hazardous materials are used with plastic-backed disposable paper to absorb spills; discard it
at the end of the work session.
Routinely wipe work surfaces with an appropriate disinfectant after experiments and immediately after spills.
Routinely decontaminate all infected materials by appropriate methods before disposal.
Report all accidents and spills to the laboratory supervisor. All laboratory personnel should be familiar with the
emergency spill protocol, the location of cleanup equipment and the First Report of Exposure/Release Form
Good housekeeping practices are essential in laboratories engaged in work with infectious microorganisms. Establish
the habit of weekly cleaning.
Be sure to advise custodial staff of hazardous areas and places they are not to enter. Use appropriate warning signs.